Urinal Attachment For Toilet

ABSTRACT

A device for use with toilets introduces urinal functionality to traditional seated toilets. By providing a urinal attachment the need to raise and lower a toilet seat is eliminated, along with many of the corresponding issues that result from different gender preferences for toilet seat positioning. A mount connect a funneling body and a plumbing assembly to the toilet, with the funneling body receiving and channeling urine through the plumbing assembly and into the bowl of the toilet. The funneling body can be rotated and tilted with respect to the plumbing assembly, while the plumbing assembly can be rotated with respect to the mount. The ability to reposition the funneling body results in improved ergonomics as users can adjust the funneling body to better suit their preference. The funneling body can also be retracted to a storage position, allowing the toilet to be used normally in a sitting position.

The current application claims a priority to the U.S. Provisional Patentapplication Ser. No. 62/017,430 filed on Jun. 26, 2014.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a urinal like device,designed to work with an existing toilet, toilet bowl or as a standalonedevice. The present invention serves to decrease the amount of spillageof urine on toilets, toilet seats, floors and other items around toiletsand provide a more convenient alternative to urinating in the toiletbowl or other unspecified urine disposal containers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Bathrooms are usually one of the dirtiest rooms in a home. The toilet,especially, tends to be the dirtiest and most unsanitary fixture in thebathroom. Not only is the toilet difficult to clean sometimes, it isalso extremely cumbersome as its highly frequent usage can result in theaccumulation of germs, bacteria and residue of human waste that can bedifficult to clean. Additionally, the task of cleaning the toilet itselfis the one chore that most people do not care to do. To clean the toiletthe person needs to clean inside of the bowl; the face underneath theseat of the bowl; the bottom face of the cover; as well as the areaaround the toilet. And if the seat was not lifted when used by a malewhile urinating, urine usually spills over the seat and the surroundingfloor which have to also be cleaned.

Households generally have bathrooms shared by many people of theopposite gender, whether it may be husband and wife, brother and sisteror guests. Sharing a toilet seat with someone of the opposite gendersometimes causes a lot of tension and discord. The idea of leaving thetoilet seat up or down is an issue that tends to lead to arguments evenamong family and friends as people are usually not fond of having totouch toilet seat to adjust them after someone else have used a toilet.Typically, the male user must lift the toilet before urinating to avoidsoiling the seat which may lead to undue contamination of the maleuser's hands. Even when the male user is careful to lift the toilet seatbefore urinating, some urine sometimes end up spilling on the toiletbowl, floor or other items in the bathroom. Should the male not becareful to properly wash his hands, he may transfer microbes, bacteriaand/or deadly germs from the toilet seat to other people and/or objects.

This invention intends to help eliminate (or at the very least reduce)unwanted urine spillage on toilets, toilet seats, floors and other itemsaround toilets after urination by male users. The invention will help tocreate a cleaner, more germ free environment for people of either sexwho need to sit down on a toilet seat. If the male user needs tourinate, it is socially understood that he must lift the toilet seatbefore urination and lower the seat after. If he chooses not to orforgets to lower the seat after urinating, the next user, female ormale, who must sit in order to use the toilet may not have taken noticeof the lifted seat assuming it was lowered to begin with or must lowerthe seat himself or herself. If the next user does not realize the seatis lifted, he or she may fall bottom first into the toilet bowl. If theuser does realize the seat is lifted, he or she must lower the seatwhich again may lead to undue contamination of the hands.

These problems are easily fixed with the use of the present invention.This urinal like device is an apparatus that can easily be attached to aplurality of models of toilets. In an alternate embodiment, the urinalattachment can also function as a standalone device. This deviceprovides flexible and adjustable means of collecting urine whenurinating in a toilet bowl or other unspecified urine collectiondevices. This device can be made from a number of different types ofmaterials such as plastic or metal. The present invention will reduce oreliminate the need for male toilet users to raise or lower a toilet seatto urinate. It will also reduce or eliminate the amount of urine thatunintentionally falls outside of the intended container, the toilet bowlor other unspecified urine collection container. The present inventioncan be utilized in a variety of locations, including toilets located inhomes, aircraft, trains, buses, and any areas that have limited spaceand an increased chance of urine spillage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a back view of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a left side view of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a right side view of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is an exploded isometric view of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is an exploded current view of the present invention

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the present invention attached to atoilet bowl;

FIG. 11 is a top view of the present invention attached to a toiletbowl;

FIG. 12 is a front view of the present invention attached to a toiletbowl;

FIG. 13 is a back view of the present invention attached to a toiletbowl; and,

FIG. 14 is an isometric view of the present invention engaged with atoilet bowl.

DETAIL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION

All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describingselected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limitthe scope of the present invention.

The present invention is a toilet 4 accessory that allows introducesurinal functionality to existing seated toilets 4. The present inventioncomprises a funneling body 1, a plumbing assembly 2, and a mount 3 insupport of this. The funneling body 1 comprises an inlet 11 while theplumbing assembly 2 comprises an outlet 21; the inlet 11 allows urine toenter the present invention, with said urine being channeled towards theoutlet 21. The outlet 21 is oriented such that it dispenses said urineinto a toilet bowl. The mount 3 is attached to a toilet 4 and providesstructural support for the plumbing assembly 2 and joined funneling body1. The present invention is illustrated with and without toilet 4 inFIG. 1-FIG. 14.

The funneling body 1 is in fluid communication with the plumbingassembly 2 in order to allow urine received at the inlet 11 to betransferred to and ejected at the outlet 21. The plumbing assembly 2 isadjacently and rotatably connected to the mount 3, allowing a user toadjust the position of the present invention to their preference. Tofurther enhance adjustability, the funneling body 1 is rotatably andtiltably connected to the plumbing assembly 2. These connections allow auser to orient the funneling body 1 in a manner that is best suited forreceiving and containing a stream of urine.

The funneling body 1 is provided to receive urine and channel said urineto a toilet 4 bowl via an outlet 21 of the plumbing assembly 2. Alongwith the inlet 11, the funneling body 1 comprises a lateral surface 12and a drain hole 13. The lateral surface 12 forms the main structure ofthe funneling body 1, with the inlet 11 and the drain hole 13 beingpositioned opposite each other along the lateral surface 12. Put moresimply, the inlet 11 is at the top of the lateral surface 12 while thedrain hole 13 is at the bottom of the lateral surface 12. The lateralsurface 12 effectively defines an interior volume as a fluid receivingvolume; fluids received at the inlet 11 pass through the interior volumewithin the lateral surface 12 and out of the drain hole 13. In short,the inlet 11 is in fluid communication with the drain hole 13. The drainhole 13 itself is in fluid communication with the plumbing assembly 2,as the drain hole 13 directs fluids (originating within the fluidreceiving volume of the lateral surface 12) to the plumbing assembly 2.

Further defining the funneling body 1, the inlet 11 comprises a lateralopening 14. This lateral opening 14 traverses into the lateral surface12, effectively removing a section of the lateral surface 12. The resultis that the sides and rear of the lateral surface 12 are elevated withrespect to the front area. This open portion in the front area moreclosely resembles the shape of a traditional urinal and allows a user toaim their urine at the rear section of the lateral surface 12. This iseasier than trying to urinate directly into a top opening of anembodiment where the funneling body 1 does not have the lateral opening14. Thus, including a lateral opening 14 is beneficial as it increasesuser friendliness and minimizes the chance of a user missing thefunneling body 1.

Potentially, the lateral surface 12 may be tapered from the inlet 11towards the drain hole 13. A tapered shape allows for a wider inlet 11,making urinating into the funneling body 1 easier for a user. Thetapered shape also improves sanitation by minimizing fluid reside in thefunneling body 1, as might otherwise happen with a flat bottomedembodiment. It is noted that the shape of the funneling body 1 is notrestricted to that of the preferred embodiment; cylindrical,rectangular, and other shapes could be used for the funneling body 1without deviating from the scope of the present invention. Ultimately,alternative embodiments of the funneling body 1 may be employed as longas they are capable of collecting and draining urine whilesimultaneously minimizing or eliminating splatter (often referred to as“splash back”) of urine.

The components of the funneling body 1 allow it to serve as a urinereceptacle of sorts. Urine enters through the inlet 11 and is containedwithin the volume interior to the lateral surface 12, from which theurine is expelled via the drain hole 13 into the plumbing mechanism.

The plumbing assembly 2 itself further comprises a telescoping section22 and a rigid section 23, in addition to the outlet 21 as earlierintroduced. These two sections are adjacently connected to each otherand in fluid communication with each other, such that fluids may freelypass through these sections. The drain hole 13 of the funneling body 1,being in fluid communication with the telescoping section 22, emptiesdirectly into the telescoping section 22. The telescoping section 22 isin fluid communication with the outlet 21 through the rigid section 23,allowing fluid that is collected with the funneling body 1 to ultimatelybe expelled via the outlet 21. Furthermore, the telescoping section 22can be elongated or shortened, resultantly moving the coupled funnelingbody 1 further away from or closer to the mount 3.

Other means of providing an adjustable fluid connection as part of theplumbing assembly 2 in place of the telescoping section 22 are possible.For example, in one embodiment the telescoping section 22 may bereplaced with a flexible tubing. The flexible tubing is just one exampleof how the plumbing assembly 2 can be configured, with the plumbingassembly 2 not being restricted to utilization of the telescopingsection 22.

The outlet 21, from which the urine is ejected, is positioned betweenthe rim 41 of a toilet 4 and the seat 42 of the toilet 4. In addition,the outlet 21 is positioned over the rim of the bowl of the toilet 4,ensuring that ejected urine is collected within the bowl of the toilet4. Placing the outlet 21 between the rim 41 and the seat 42 is importantas it allows for the seat 42 to remain in a down position while stillproviding a means for male users to urinate standing up. As negating theneed to consistently switch a seat 42 between an up position and a downposition is one of the goals of the present invention, it is desirablefor the outlet 21 to be positioned below the seat 42. If the outlet 21were positioned above the seat 42 a user would be unable to sit down onthe seat 42 without moving the nozzle, reducing user-friendliness of thepresent invention.

In order to fit between the rim 41 and the seat 42, the outlet 21preferably has a flattened (rather than cylindrical) shape, minimizingthe height of the outlet 21. This allows the outlet 21 to be positionedunder the seat 42 without creating a noticeable change in elevation ofthe seat 42; if the outlet 21 is too large it will cause a portion ofthe seat 42 to raise up, akin to a bump. As this would proveuncomfortable for a person sitting on the seat 42, the preferredembodiment utilizes the described flattened version of the outlet 21.While the flattened outlet 21 is not required, it is beneficial toergonomic use of the present invention; in embodiments where theflattened outlet 21 is not feasible, the outlet 21 may, for example, beimplemented as a tubing with a small enough radius that it does notraise a portion of a toilet seat 42 resting atop the outlet 21.

Preferably, the rigid section 23 is rotatably connected to the mount 3,such that rotation of the rigid section 23 results in correspondingrotation of the telescoping section 22 and coupled funneling body 1.This rotatable connection, in conjunction with the rotatable andtiltable connection between the funneling body 1 and the plumbingassembly 2 as well as the telescoping sections 22 ability to extend orcompress, provides a user with the ability to adjust the positioning ofthe funneling body 1 to meet their personal preference. The adjustablenature of the present invention allows for improved ergonomics as userscan reposition the funneling body 1 to match their height or stance, forexample. Furthermore, the telescoping section 22, when compressed,allows the funneling body 1 to be moved closer to the mount 3. This isvery important as it allows a toilet 4 which is equipped with thepresent invention to still be used in a seated position; without thetelescoping section 22 the funneling body 1 could not be retracted. Theposition of such a non-retractable funneling body 1 would interfere withregular seated use of the toilet 4, if positioned too close to thetoilet 4, or be unwieldy and take up unnecessary space if positioned toofar from the toilet 4. Hence the preference for a telescoping section 22to allow the funneling body 1 to be retracted to a storage position.

The telescoping section 22 comprises a plurality of pipes 24, with eachof the plurality of pipes 24 forming individual parts of the telescopingsection 22. From the plurality of pipes 24, a selected pipe 25 isslidably engaged with an adjacent pipe 26, with the selected pipe 25traversing into the adjacent pipe 26. In other words, the outer radiusof the selected pipe 25 is aligned with the inner radius of the adjacentpipe 26, allowing for said slidable engagement. The result is that theselected pipe 25 can be retracted within the adjacent pipe 26 orextended out of the adjacent pipe 26, allowing for a user to adjust theoverall length of the telescoping section 22. The coupled funneling body1 can thus be retracted towards or extended from the mount 3,transitioning between an “in use” position and a “storage” position.

In the preferred embodiment, the present invention further comprises ahandle 15 which is adjacently connected to the lateral surface 12 of thefunneling body 1. The handle 15 is positioned exterior to the lateralsurface 12, providing a clean surface that a user can grasp. The handle15 makes positional adjustments of the funneling body 1 moreuser-friendly by providing an ergonomic feature that can be easily andcomfortably manipulated by a user. The handle 15 also provides a cleanersurface that a user can hold while repositioning the funneling body 1;without the handle 15 a user would have to directly touch the funnelingbody 1. As the funneling body 1 is provided for the reception of urine,direct handling is undesired for sanitation reasons. While the presentinvention is certainly still usable without the handle 15, it is nodoubt improved with the addition of the handle 15.

The mount 3, in the preferred embodiment, comprises a bracing member 31and a hook member 32, with the bracing member 31 being adjacentlyconnected to the hook member 32. The hook member 32 is a U-shapedbracket that can be secured over the rim 41 of the water tank of thetoilet 4. Described in more detail, a web connects a first arm and asecond arm of the u-shaped bracket, with the first arm being positionedinterior to the water tank and the second arm being positioned exteriorto the water tank. Resultantly, the web is positioned directly atop therim 41 of the water tank. The bracing member 31 is adjacently connectedto the second rim 41, such that the second rim 41 and bracing member 31combine to form a smooth planar body. The bracing member 31 thus pressesagainst the exterior side of the water tank, using the normal force fromthe water tank to help support the weight of the present invention.

The mount 3 as described in the preferred embodiment is ideal as it issimple to install and does not require the use of any tools; a usersimply lifts the lid of the water tank, places the hook over the rim 41of the water tank, and lowers the lid back onto the water tank. The easeof use means that the present invention can easily be installed oruninstalled from a toilet 4 without requiring the service of aprofessional. The simplicity of the mount 3 of the preferred embodimentis further beneficial as it helps to keep construction costs, andcorrespondingly price, of the present invention low.

Alternatives to the mount 3 as heretofore described include oneembodiment where the mount 3 allows the funneling body 1 and plumbingassembly 2 to be coupled to a wall mounted hook. The funneling body 1and plumbing assembly 2 thus hang from the wall via the mount 3. Themethod of supporting the funneling body 1 and plumbing assembly 2,including the specific implementation of the mount 3, can be variedbetween embodiments as described heretofore and hereafter.

In other embodiments, different mounting systems may be utilized.Furthermore, in some embodiments the mount 3 could be substituted for;in one embodiment a the present invention could be installed onto astand, with the stand being placed on the floor adjacent to the toilet 4rather than being mounted directly to the toilet 4.

Potentially, in another embodiment, the outlet 21 could be positionedover a separate independent fluid receptacle, rather than beingpositioned over the bowl of the toilet 4. The separate independent fluidreceptacle could be directly connecting to a house's existing plumbing,or instead be a removable allowing for a user to dispose of the contentsas desired; the latter might be desirable for persons who are attemptingto reduce their environmental impact and have installed waste compostingareas in or around their homes.

Another possibility for the present invention is the provision of aseparate flushing mechanism. This separate flushing mechanism can beconnected into the existing plumbing for the toilet 4, with acorresponding handle 15 being provided on the present invention, forexample on the mount 3. As a benefit, the flushing mechanism can beconfigured to use a reduced amount 3 of water when flushed, as non-solidwaste requires less water to be flushed compared to solid waste. Byaccommodating for this, the present invention can help reduce waterusage, and as a result utility bills for consumers and water waste inthe environment.

The present invention, being primarily intended as a retro-fit device,has further possible embodiments. For example, the present invention maybe directly integrated into the drainage system of the toilet 4 (as withthe described preferred embodiment), or into the drainage pipe under,behind, or around the toilet 4 in the floor or wall, ultimately ejectingfluids either into the toilet 4 bowl or directly into the drainage pipe.For new toilet 4 installations, the present invention can be integratedinto the toilet 4 design, as opposed to being retrofitted like describedin the preferred embodiment.

Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferredembodiment, it is to be understood that many other possiblemodifications and variations can be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A urinal attachment for toilet comprises: afunneling body; the funneling body comprises an inlet; a plumbingassembly; the plumbing assembly comprises an outlet; a mount, whereinthe mount is attached to a toilet; the funneling body being in fluidcommunication with the plumbing assembly; the funneling body beingrotatably and tiltably connected to the plumbing assembly; the plumbingassembly being adjacently connected to the mount; and the plumbingassembly being rotatably connected to the mount, wherein rotating theplumbing assembly imparts corresponding movement to the funneling body.2. The urinal attachment for toilet as claimed in claim 1 comprises: thefunneling body further comprises a lateral surface, and a drain hole;the inlet and the drain hole being positioned opposite each other alongthe lateral surface; the inlet being in fluid communication with thedrain hole; and the drain hole being in fluid communication with theplumbing assembly.
 3. The urinal attachment for toilet as claimed inclaim 1 comprises: the inlet comprises a lateral opening; the lateralopening traversing into a lateral surface of the funneling body; and thelateral opening being positioned opposite the plumbing assembly alongthe lateral surface.
 4. The urinal attachment for toilet as claimed inclaim 1 comprises: a lateral surface of the funneling body being taperedfrom the inlet towards the drain hole.
 5. The urinal attachment fortoilet as claimed in claim 1 comprises: a handle; the handle beingadjacently connected to a lateral surface of the funneling body; and thehandle being positioned exterior to the lateral surface.
 6. The urinalattachment for toilet as claimed in claim 1 comprises: the plumbingassembly further comprises a telescoping section and a rigid section;the telescoping section being adjacently connected to the rigid section;the drain hole being in fluid communication with the telescopingsection; the telescoping section being in fluid communication with therigid section; the rigid section being rotatably connected to the mount;the rigid section being in fluid communication with the outlet; and thetelescoping section being in fluid communication with the outlet throughthe rigid section.
 7. The urinal attachment for toilet as claimed inclaim 6 comprises: the telescoping section comprises a plurality ofpipes; a selected pipe from the plurality of pipes being slidablyengaged with an adjacent pipe from the plurality of pipes; and theselected pipe traversing into the adjacent pipe.
 8. The urinalattachment for toilet as claimed in claim 1 comprises: the outlet beingpositioned between a rim of the toilet and a seat of the toilet; and theoutlet being positioned over a bowl of the toilet, wherein fluid beingdispensed from the outlet is collected in the bowl.
 9. The urinalattachment for toilet as claimed in claim 1 comprises: the mountcomprises a bracing member and a hook member; and the bracing memberbeing adjacently connected to the hook member.
 10. A urinal attachmentfor toilet comprises: a funneling body; the funneling body comprises aninlet, a lateral surface, and a drain hole; a plumbing assembly; theplumbing assembly comprises an outlet, a telescoping section, and arigid section; a mount, wherein the mount is attached to a toilet; thefunneling body being in fluid communication with the plumbing assembly;the funneling body being rotatably and tiltably connected to theplumbing assembly; the plumbing assembly being adjacently connected tothe mount; the plumbing assembly being rotatably connected to the mount,wherein rotating the plumbing assembly imparts corresponding movement tothe funneling body; the inlet and the drain hole being positionedopposite each other along the lateral surface; the telescoping sectionbeing adjacently connected to the rigid section; the drain hole being influid communication with the telescoping section; and the telescopingsection being in fluid communication with the rigid section.
 11. Theurinal attachment for toilet as claimed in claim 10 comprises: the inletbeing in fluid communication with the drain hole; and the drain holebeing in fluid communication with the plumbing assembly.
 12. The urinalattachment for toilet as claimed in claim 10 comprises: the inletcomprises a lateral opening; the lateral opening traversing into thelateral surface; and the lateral opening being positioned opposite theplumbing assembly along the lateral surface.
 13. The urinal attachmentfor toilet as claimed in claim 10 comprises: the lateral surface beingtapered from the inlet towards the drain hole.
 14. The urinal attachmentfor toilet as claimed in claim 10 comprises: a handle; the handle beingadjacently connected to the lateral surface; and the handle beingpositioned exterior to the lateral surface.
 15. The urinal attachmentfor toilet as claimed in claim 10 comprises: the rigid section beingrotatably connected to the mount; the rigid section being in fluidcommunication with the outlet; and the telescoping section being influid communication with the outlet through the rigid section.
 16. Theurinal attachment for toilet as claimed in claim 10 comprises: thetelescoping section comprises a plurality of pipes; a selected pipe fromthe plurality of pipes being slidably engaged with an adjacent pipe fromthe plurality of pipes; and the selected pipe traversing into theadjacent pipe.
 17. The urinal attachment for toilet as claimed in claim10 comprises: the outlet being positioned between a rim of the toiletand a seat of the toilet; and the outlet being positioned over a bowl ofthe toilet, wherein fluid being dispensed from the outlet is collectedin the bowl.
 18. The urinal attachment for toilet as claimed in claim 10comprises: the mount comprises a bracing member and a hook member; andthe bracing member being adjacently connected to the hook member.